Information is widely exchanged between users via a computer network such as the Internet. Electronic mail and instant messages, for example, are used as a means for exchanging information.
In this respect, software called an email client (a mailer) is typically used to create, transmit, or receive an electronic mail or to save or manage a received mail. In addition, software called an instant messenger is typically used to create, transmit, or receive an instant message or to save or manage a received instant message.
Such an email client or an instant messenger is used upon it being installed in an electronic device, such as a personal computer or a mobile terminal.
An email client or an instant messenger typically displays, on a screen of an electronic device, a notification such as “a mail has been received” or “an instant message has been received” through a technique such as a pop-up when an electronic mail or an instant message is received.
Then, upon referring to such a display, a user can recognize that an electronic mail, an instant message, or the like addressed to the user has been received.
Patent Literature 1 describes an example of a technique for giving such a notification of reception. In the technique described in Patent Literature 1, notification processes for an email and an instant message service are integrated. Then, according to the technique described in Patent Literature 1, when an email or an instant message is received, a notification pertaining to either of the email and the instant message is given through a common interface provided by the integrated notification process. Thus, the user can find that an email or an instant message service has been received only by logging in to the integrated notification process and by referring to the common interface.